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Topic: The Sugar Gene is Found (Read 7484 times)

Comments by J. C. SpencerSugar craving for harmful sugars (your sweet tooth) can lead to obesity, diabetes, poor health, and a shorter life span. The "healthy sugar" trehalose is known to help reduce the sugar addiction in some people. Does trehalose alter certain related gene expressions? I believe it does and a new study at the University of Toronto sheds new light on the subject. Senior researcher Ahmed El-Sohemy, of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, said in a prepared statement. “We have found that a variation in the GLUT2 gene is associated with a higher intake of sugars among different populations.”

So, for the first time, to my knowledge, we have learned that a gene, the GLUT2 gene, is associated with "unhealthy sugar" addiction. Connecting the dots may prove that trehalose has an impact on this gene expression to reduce the craving for "unhealthy sugary foods".

The impact of this work could result in helping reduce diabetes and obesity while improving health and lengthening the life span for many humans. It is obvious that more research is needed and this gives us a clear pin point target on which to focus.

Now, here is the NEWS of the week about your sweet tooth and gene expression.

Having a specific variation in the GLUT2 gene — which controls theentry of sugar into the cells — may explain why some people crave sugaryfoods far more than others, according to the online edition ofPhysiological Genomics.

Researchers analyzing blood samples and food and beverage preferencesof two distinct groups — older adults who were either overweight or obeseand generally healthy young adults who were mostly lean — found thatthose with the GLUT2 variation in either group consumed more sugars thanthose without the variation.

“These findings may help explain some of the individual variations inpeople's preference for sugary foods. It's especially important given thesoaring rates of obesity and diabetes throughout much of the world,” studysenior researcher Ahmed El-Sohemy, of the Department of NutritionalSciences at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, said in a preparedstatement. “We have found that a variation in the GLUT2 gene isassociated with a higher intake of sugars among different populations.”